“No problem,” Ryland answered, looking over his shoulder, he squeezed Blayze on the shoulder before following Duncan out the door.
“Did he finally get tired of you sniffing after his ass and give in?”
“Hell no,” Ryland groused. “But he will—soon—I can feel it,” he finished with a smile.
Duncan shook his head at his friend. Ryland had been trying to convince Blayze that they were mates. But for some reason, Blayze refused to acknowledge it. Mating was still a mystery to Duncan, and he wondered why Ryland and Blayze weren't feeling the mating heat being around each other constantly. It could be the possibility that Blayze was a hybrid and couldn’t shift into his beast. He was fully human, but had the strength, stamina, and weaknesses of a lykosian. Mates were a treasure, and the couples were only given a short window to complete their mating once it started. There were many folklores about how a lykosian would recognize its true mate.
Duncan's parents knew they were each other’s mates the minute they touched. Mari knew Ben was her mate the second their eyes locked onto each other in a crowded room for the first time. Normally, Duncan would say that was lust, and his sister was just looking for company for the night. But seeing Mari and Ben together, he knew it was love.Duncan had never thought of the possibilities of having a mate. He had too many things going on in his life with the twins, the pack, and his company. To stop and worry or sniff out a mate would pull him away from his many responsibilities. That didn’t mean he was closing the door on finding one. Just not right away.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Ryland commented as they drove.
“Just thinking,” he answered, looking out the window.
“Planning on telling me, or am I supposed to guess,” Ryland probed.
“Have you noticed the car following us?” Duncan asked. He'd been watching the car since they drove out of the hospital parking lot. “Make the next left,” he instructed.
Ryland followed his directions and seemed to figure out what Duncan was up to. He was leading whoever was following them to the dark, winding road that led to the woods. Duncan was gearing up for a fight if it came down to it.No other cars were on the road and the car was following them at a safe distance. It was getting darker the further they drove; they knew those roads like the back of their hands.
Duncan began stripping off his clothes. “Kill the lights, and slow down when you make the next right.” Again, Ryland did as he was asked. As soon as they turned the corner, Duncan opened the door then jumped out of the car, shifting before his paws touched the hard pavement.He crouched down on all fours, hiding on the edge of the forest and waited. He didn’t have to wait for long, the other car stopped in front of his hiding spot, someone got out of the car and looked around. It wasn’t a full moon, but Duncan could still take them down. The bigger and brighter the moon, affected the strength of lykosians, making them faster and stronger in any situation.
“Where the fuck did they go, Kallen?”
“They couldn't have gotten far,” the voice answered, getting out of the car as well. He joined his friend, he had his hands on his waist and Duncan assumed that was Kallen.
Duncan stayed quiet and studied their faces, keeping it in his memory; he needed more information on who they were and why they were following him. In this form, he could see perfectly in the dark.
“Well, we need to find them,or the Organization will not be happy.”
“I know, shit, come on, let's drive a bit further down,” Kallen told his friend. “They couldn’t have gone very far.”
“Can you imagine what we will get for bringing the Alpha in? We will definitely move up in the ranks.” The other guy seemed more hyped, as if he was on something.
Kallen was looking, and Duncan could have sworn that he was staring right at him when he nodded his head before walking around the car and getting back in. Every sect had heard of the Blackburn Organization. They were hunters who had made it their life's purpose of hunting and killing sects all over the world. They’d recruit their hunters at a very young age, if they weren’t already born into the Organization. Runaway children who had no one. They were the reason why Duncan refused to hide. The more you hide, the easier it is for the Organization to make you disappear.
How did they figure out I was the Alpha?
The car pulled off in a hurry.Duncan came out of his hiding spot and watched them drive off and memorized their license plate. Not long after they drove off, Duncan ran back the way he and Ryland came, going through the woods; he did not need to stay hidden, it was his town. Everyone that lived there was pack, but they were also a tourist town, it was how most pack members made their money. Ryland's car was sitting on the other side of the woods waiting for him like Duncan knew he would. He shifted and got back into the car.
“So?” Ryland asked when he got back in the car.
Duncan pulled on his clothes. “Hunters,” was all he said.
“Shit,” Ryland cursed starting the car and pulled off.“We don't need this shit right now.”
“Trust me, I know.” He slouched in his seat and looked at the digital clock on the center console, it was later than he expected it to be and he wanted to speak with Sammy. It looked as if he’d have to stop by and see her before going into the office. “Fuck, I need to know why the Blackburn Organization is in my town and how long they’ve been here? Have Sebastian, Charlie, and Parker come and see me in the morning.”Parker, Charlie, and Sebastian were brothers that were lawyers in addition to being the pack enforcers. He needed them to find out why and how members of the Organization got into their town without anyone noticing. “Hey, drop me off at home, I’ll stop by and see Sammy in the morning before heading into the office.”
Ryland grunted in response. “You still haven't told me who's watching the twins.”
“There’s not much to tell, and I’m too tired to talk about it. Come by for breakfast later. Better yet, stay the night, you’ll get to meet Jordan yourself and ask him all the questions you want.” Ryland had his own room and would sometimes spend the night whenever they had pack business that ran late into the night.
Ryland sighed, “Yeah, why not. I think I have a suit or two still in the closet.”
Duncan slouched further into his seat and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about why the Blackburn Organization was in his territory, there were too many possibilities going through his mind. Not counting that the same day he hired a new human nanny the hunters showed up. He didn’t want to think that he was putting the kids in danger when he promised his sister he would protect them.
Chapter Four
Jordan
